Barbara Barrie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbara Barrie
Barrie in 1980
Born	Barbara Ann Berman (1931-05-23) May 23, 1931 (age 94) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Texas at Austin (B.F.A., 1952)
Occupation	Actress singer author
Years active	1953–present
Spouse(s)	Jay Harnick ​ ​ (m. 1964; died 2007)​
Children	2

Barbara Barrie (born Barbara Ann Berman; May 23, 1931) is an American actress and author. She has had a long and successful career in movies, TV shows, and plays.

Barbara Barrie became well-known in 1964 for her role as Julie in the movie One Potato, Two Potato. She even won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for this role. Later, she gained more fame for playing Evelyn Stohler in the movie Breaking Away. This role earned her a nomination for an Academy Award in 1979. She also got an Emmy Award nomination when she played the same character in the TV show based on the movie.

On television, many people know Barbara Barrie as the wife of the main character in the detective comedy Barney Miller. She was on that show from 1975 to 1978. She has also done a lot of work in live theater. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1971 for her role as Sarah in the musical Company.

Barbara Barrie: A Talented Actress and Author

Barbara Barrie has been acting for many years. She started her career in the 1950s and has appeared in many different types of performances. She is also a published author, writing books for both children and adults.

Her Early Life and Training

Barbara Ann Berman was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 23, 1931. She grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. After high school, she studied journalism briefly at Del Mar College. She then transferred to The University of Texas at Austin. In 1952, she earned a degree in Drama. After finishing college, she moved to New York City to start her acting career. While in college, she received several awards for her acting.

Acting on Stage

One of Barbara Barrie's first acting jobs was in Corning, New York, in 1953. She played the main role in a play called The Moon is Blue. She also worked at the Rochester Arena Theatre. Her first time acting on Broadway was in 1955 in a play called The Wooden Dish.

In 1959, she was in another Broadway play, The Beaux' Stratagem. She also performed in Off-Broadway plays like The Crucible in 1958. She was part of the American Shakespeare Theatre for two seasons, playing many Shakespearean characters. In 1961, she toured Europe playing Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker.

In 1970, Barbara Barrie created the role of Sarah in Stephen Sondheim's musical Company. This musical won a Tony Award, and Barbara was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 1974, she won an Obie Award for her role in The Killdeer. She also performed in Neil Simon's popular Broadway play California Suite in 1976. In 2017, she appeared on Broadway in the play Significant Other.

Starring in Movies

Barbara Barrie's first movie role was in Giant in 1956, though she was not credited. Her first credited role was in The Caretakers in 1963. In 1964, she got her first main role in the movie One Potato, Two Potato. She played Julie Cullen Richards, a divorced woman who remarries an African-American man. The movie was seen as controversial at the time because it dealt with racial tensions. Barbara won the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance.

In 1979, Barbara Barrie was highly praised for her role as Evelyn Stohler in Breaking Away. She played the mother of a young man who dreams of becoming a bicycle racer. Breaking Away was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Barbara herself was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1980, she played the mother of Goldie Hawn's character in Private Benjamin. In 1999, she was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award for her role in the film Judy Berlin.

Famous TV Roles

Barbara Barrie first appeared on television in 1955 on Kraft Television Theatre. She guest-starred on many popular TV shows in the 1960s. These included The Defenders, Ben Casey, and Route 66. In 1963, she appeared in "The Miniature" episode of The Twilight Zone. She also appeared in two episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1964.

Barrie on the set of Barney Miller in 1975 with Hal Linden

From 1975 to 1978, Barbara Barrie played Elizabeth Miller, the wife of the main character, in the TV show Barney Miller. She was in 37 episodes of the show. In 1979, she played Mamie Eisenhower in the TV mini-series Backstairs at the White House. In 1980, she played Evelyn Stohler again in the TV series based on the movie Breaking Away. She received an Emmy Award nomination for this role.

In 1992, Barbara Barrie was nominated for another Emmy Award for her guest role on Law & Order. From 1996 to 2000, she played Helen Keane in 92 episodes of the TV series Suddenly Susan. In 2003, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has also appeared in shows like Pushing Daisies, Nurse Jackie, and Enlightened.

Writing Books

Besides acting, Barbara Barrie is also an author. She has written two children's books. In 1990, she published Lone Star. This book is about a girl named Jane who moves from Illinois to Texas. It explores how her Orthodox Jewish family adjusts to the new culture.

Her second book, Adam ZigZag, came out in 1994. It is also a true story, about a young boy named Adam who has dyslexia. His mother is an actress, and the book shares his struggles. Barbara Barrie has also written two books about her experience with cancer. She believes that talking about early detection of diseases is very important.

Personal Life and Health

Barbara Barrie married director, actor, and producer Jay Malcolm Harnick in 1964. They had two children, Jane and Aaron. Jay Harnick founded Theatreworks USA, a theater company for young audiences. He passed away in 2007.

Barbara Barrie was successfully treated for cancer in 1994. In 2014, she shared that she was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease. She lives in New York City.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Barbara Barrie para niños